abstract from the interview given to the magazine:
Similarly, Paolo Federici, project cargo manager at Fortune International Transport, said 2023 was a positive year for the company, closing its best yearly balance. He explained that most of the company’s traffic comes from its global overseas agents, as Italian companies prefer to sell ex-works.
However, an interesting trend that Federici noted was “more Italian companies controlling the transport of their cargoes – selling CIF and buying FOB – have been included in our clients listing”.
In addition, Federici has seen the return of customers that had previously focused on the lowest price to its books, as they turn their attention back to
quality.
Spurred on by the positive year, Fortune International is now opening in new markets and expanding its range of business activities, including teaching transport and logistics, which Federici said is not particularly prevalent in Italy. Initiatives like this are certainly required to tackle the
recruitment issues facing the project logistics market globally.
Regarding projects in that pipeline, Federici said: “What was organised by Mario Draghi is going ahead. New projects are slowly being activated.” Incumbent prime minister Giorgia Meloni has continued those initiatives but “has not yet started any serious activity to support growth in the project logistics scene”. Federici mused: “It seems that the very strong push granted by Mario Draghi is now slowing down.”
Federici explained that the only “big project” is the construction of a bridge to connect the continent with the island of Sicily, “but surely that will take many, many years before being accomplished”.
Bureaucracy [of the permit procedure] is still the big enemy we have to fight daily.
– Paolo Federici,
Fortune International Transport
Federici has faith in Italy’s prowess as a project cargo nation: “It has always been able to keep going on, regardless of the government and regardless of the bureaucracy. We will succeed.”
He is more concerned with what is unfolding in the Suez Canal and the Gulf of Aden. “This is a real problem for the whole of Europe, not only Italy.” As European container lines opt to re-route, heavy increases in transit times and seafreight quotes have been rolling in.
At the same time, he noted the ongoing studies about utilising northern sea routes, as cooling ice makes these routes increasingly easier to cross. This could, if the disruption continues, have a knock-on effect on the competitiveness of shipping from hubs such as Italy.
A way to safeguard against this would be a unified Europe, Federici believes. “Europe is showing weakness in not being able to act as one, whether it be one military force or one common idea. The June election will, therefore, be most important for redesigning the European programmes.”